Rams: (#13) 1st Round QB Ty Simpson SIGNED

[PARAM]

Snead: "Hey, Sean. What do you think about [Quarterback X]?"
McVay: "He's incredible. He's the best QB prospect I've seen in any draft since I've been an NFL head coach."
Snead: "Patrick Mahomes was drafted your first year with the Rams."
McVay: "I stand by what I said

Okay, I think it's time for a serious wake up call. A fact vs fiction approach.

We don't know if Cam Ward or Jaxon Dart are going to be good NFL QBs. There were 6 guys taken in the first round the previous year and the jury is still out on them. On others, it's already clear they're not franchise QB material. This past draft saw Mendoza and Simpson go in the first. We don't know about them either. Drake Maye looked great last year vs a last place schedule. Not so much this year, eh? Justin Herbert was going to be the shit. He's been looking like shit for a while now.

We ALL know (and McVay/Snead know better than us) many of these 'can't miss' college QB studs simply don't make it in the NFL. For every Joe Burrow or Caleb Williams who are legit first round studs, there are exponentially more first round duds who aren't even close. That's a fact.

The fiction, beside your imaginary conversation between Snead and McVay, is there's a college QB who has yet to play a snap at that level who is going to be a can't miss, gotta have, stud. Really? I guess we could also look at it like, 'McVay is such an offensive magician, that he could take one of those guys and make them a franchise QB'. Sure. But he couldn't do that with Simpson? That reasoning makes less sense than the following statement..........

The 2028 draft has the potential to become the most ridiculous QB draft I've ever seen.

Oh we haven't heard that before, have we? "Potential". Yeah that's the key word. Key to which QBs are taken in the first round. Key to which drafts are loaded with great QBs. Key to which QBs turn out to be franchise QBs. Potential. Such an overused term.

And sometimes when you get that "franchise QB", you find out he's not all he's cracked up to be. A great regular season performer but not so great in the postseason. I'm thinking of Aaron Rodgers there. He has become top 5 in all the important QB categories. And yet he only won 1 Superbowl. 16 years ago. Besides being a four time MVP and HOFer, he's a head case. But damn man, he does have all those records!!!! In the 4 seasons he won the MVP award, the Packers were eliminated in the postseason without reaching the SB. Hell, twice they were eliminated without reaching the CCG. And his numbers were anything but "franchise-like".

But back to your point.

There will be future drafts with QB classes to die for. Sure, there will be. So what? You already know Ty Simpson is a failure?

 

[Rmfnlt]

Full disclosure: I did not read all 143 pages of this but... I suspect it might be?

For as long as I have been contributing to forums (30 years or so), there's always a thread about a QB the Rams drafted - especially first round - wherein we get 143 pages of "I love him", I like him", "We'll see" and "Stupid pick".

I guess that's what make forums, forums.

I remember Sam Bradford... do you?

 

[Ground Chuck]

Only 45% of 1st round QBs start more than 4 seasons and if you look at Bill Barnwell's work, he had an ESPN study of 45 first-round QBs from quarterback-rich classes (so maybe not every class which would produce worse results) since 1983 sorted them into five tiers: 17.8% Hall of Fame or future Hall of Fame, 20% franchise quarterback, 4.4% low-end starter, and 44.4% disappointments, with the remainder solid starters.

I like them odds.

93% of all statistics are just made up

The other half of bullshit

You have to throw all of that out because we already have empirical evidence that Ty Simpson is not Ryan Leif, he is not DeMarcus Russell, he is not even Sam Bradford.

Ty Simpson already resides in that pool of players that, health and opportunity with standing can do great things in this league.

So we should all just take a deep breath focus on our current Hall of Fame quarterback, Matthew Stafford, and see how he does against the Denver Broncos Sunday night

 

[Ram Ts]

Full disclosure: I did not read all 143 pages of this but... I suspect it might be?

For as long as I have been contributing to forums (30 years or so), there's always a thread about a QB the Rams drafted - especially first round - wherein we get 143 pages of "I love him", I like him", "We'll see" and "Stupid pick".

I guess that's what make forums, forums.

I remember Sam Bradford... do you?

Don’t forget the favorite team QB of some fans that post on forums: college guy who isn’t draft eligible for 1-3 years.

Year after year it’s the year of the QB draft. One of these years, it’ll eventually happen right. Smh

 

[TheTackle]

Makai Lemon, 2 games, 4 receptions for 9 yards

Remember when every talking head said we should have drafted him for production this year

 

[HitStick]

Makai Lemon, 2 games, 4 receptions for 9 yards

Remember when every talking head said we should have drafted him for production this year

Ty Simpson, 0 games, 0/0 passing, 0 TDs.


I’m 100% on the Ty Simpson train, but let’s pump the breaks on rookies after two games.

 

[Merlin]

Don't listen to the mainstream sports media outlets. I'm here to bring you the truth. The real monster QB draft isn't next year in 2027; it is the draft after that in 2028.

The Rams still hold their 1st round pick in 2028. Ty Simpson likely won't play at all in 2026. The 2027 NFL season is key, because it will determine the draft slot where the Rams will pick in the 2028 draft and 2027 is the year when we are more likely to see Simpson get real action in an NFL regular season game. The best thing for Simpson is for the Rams to keep winning and draft low in 2028. If a bunch of our guys retire or leave in FA and we have a bad 2027 season, resulting in a high 2028 draft slot, things could get squirrely, because the Rams might be in range to trade up into the top slot, where obviously the Rams could get any of the QBs on the board.

Just wait until this time next fall and you'll see what I mean. It is still very early, but some of the 2027 eligible QBs probably will stay in school for another year and there are talented QBs who are not yet eligible for the draft. Consequently, there might be about 5 QBs in 2028 that end up being better prospects than whoever becomes the first QB taken in 2027. The 2028 draft is the one that has the potential to be one of the greatest QB drafts in NFL history.

A few notes here.

First it is true that the best QB draft is always two years out. This just seems to be an endless occurrence due to how they're projected, and then reality tends to be a bit different when it hits. So I never get too bent around the axle about this phenomenon. Instead I look at each class and wonder who that QB will be that exceeds expectations, assuming any of them do. But in the end this is like every other position in that it's a crapshoot. It's a dice roll with odds skewed based on whether the work the team did on them is any good.

Second there are QB options in a lot of drafts, question is can you identify who they are and actually position to get them. It's so easy to think one of these guys will get to you at whatever spot, then you see another team take them too early or just before you do. And I think that happened with Dart, who the Rams had done a ton of work on, which contributed to them saying fuck this we're gonna take the QB we like here and now because he's on the board.

Third and most importantly there are teams who draft a QB up high and crown his ass. Teams like Indy for example who take a high upside reach in Richardson and proceed to attempt to build around him and end up a flaming fucking trash can floating down the river. The Rams are not one of those teams.

The Rams are the team that will move on from your ass the moment they smell the stench of failure in your game. So as it pertains to Simpson he's in a great place where he'll get incredible coaching and preparation, but if he wants them to plan around him as QB1 he will need to impress at every phase of his development. Right now he's very early in that development. He has looked great, but it is true that in two years shit may look different. This is the league, and the Rams are the most aggressive team there is when it comes to high standards at QB.

My suggestion in the here and now is let's try to enjoy the development of the QB they chose. He has held up his end of the bargain, so far so good. From there who the fuck knows what two years out has in store.

 

[TheTackle]

Ty Simpson, 0 games, 0/0 passing, 0 TDs.


I’m 100% on the Ty Simpson train, but let’s pump the breaks on rookies after two games.

Yes, but one was going to make an instant impact, or so people said

 

[WestCoastRam]

Yes, but one was going to make an instant impact, or so people said

I'm still itchy we didn't take Freeling but the ship has sailed.

 

[gogoat1]

To illustrate what I'm talking about, Sam Teets in his most recent 2027 mock draft predicted that many big name QBs will skip the draft and stay in school. If he's right, this is a short list of the QBs who could be in the 2028 draft. By the time we get there, even more QBs could emerge and jump into the mix. Good luck predicting the order they will be taken, because I have no clue.

JKS, Cal
CJ Carr, ND
Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
Kamario Taylor, Miss St
Austin Simmons, Mizzou
LaNorris Sellers, SCar
Juilan Sayin, Ohio St
Drew Mestemaker, OKST
Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Keelon Russell, Alabama
Dylan Raiola, Oregon
CJ Bailey, NCST
Malik Washington, Maryland

Are you kidding me? If you aren't familiar with all these QBs, check out some of their highlights. Seriously, have you ever seen a QB draft like that?

1983.
Most D1 QBs have some great highlights.
You have to have a lot of time to light on fire to check out all those QBs.

 

[Karate61]

Full disclosure: I did not read all 143 pages of this but... I suspect it might be?

For as long as I have been contributing to forums (30 years or so), there's always a thread about a QB the Rams drafted - especially first round - wherein we get 143 pages of "I love him", I like him", "We'll see" and "Stupid pick".

I guess that's what make forums, forums.

I remember Sam Bradford... do you?

Sam Bradford...such a stupid pick!

And, your post sucks!

 

[gogoat1]

Yes, but one was going to make an instant impact, or so people said

No one actually thought Ty Simpson was going to make instant impact coming to the Rams.
We all know he is a sit on the bench and learn for a good while player.
If the Rams did not take Simpson and went after the short sighted "instant impact" player the Rams were going to be in a bad position after Stafford hung it up.
The Rams are in a good place right now.

 

[PARAM]

Makai Lemon, 2 games, 4 receptions for 9 yards

Remember when every talking head said we should have drafted him for production this year

And Lemon wasn't the only one!!! How about Omar Cooper? Or KC Concepcion? And Kenyon Sadiq is tearing it up, eh? How about other positions? Rueben Bain has played 76 defensive snaps. He has 1 solo tackle, 0 QBH, 0 TFL, 0 sacks. It's only 2 games but his production isn't much better than the production we've received from Simpson!!!!

 

[Twopointtry]

First it is true that the best QB draft is always two years out.

I've studied draft prospects as a hobby for a long time. This is the only time I've said this about a future QB draft class. I typically grade QBs much lower than the national media. In a "normal" draft, maybe I'll give 1 or 2 QBs 1st round grades. I also distinguish between "top 10 overall" and other 1st round grades, so some of the QBs I put in the 1st round aren't graded high enough to justify being taken at the top of the draft.

Tnational sports media hypes up QBs in "way-too-early" mocks every year and every time they end up looking silly as some of the QBs they had as high 1st round prospects get picked very low and don't turn out to be any good.

I've never done that. Typically, I'm a QB skeptic. So, if I'm the voice that is hyping up the 2028 QB class, it is a "canary in the coal mine" moment and should be a warning sign that something abnormal is percolating. QBs like Kamario Taylor and JKS, they don't come around every year.

 

[Karate61]

I've studied draft prospects as a hobby for a long time. This is the only time I've said this about a future QB draft class. I typically grade QBs much lower than the national media. In a "normal" draft, maybe I'll give 1 or 2 QBs 1st round grades. I also distinguish between "top 10 overall" and other 1st round grades, so some of the QBs I put in the 1st round aren't graded high enough to justify being taken at the top of the draft.

Tnational sports media hypes up QBs in "way-too-early" mocks every year and every time they end up looking silly as some of the QBs they had as high 1st round prospects get picked very low and don't turn out to be any good.

I've never done that. Typically, I'm a QB skeptic. So, if I'm the voice that is hyping up the 2028 QB class, it is a "canary in the coal mine" moment and should be a warning sign that something abnormal is percolating. QBs like Kamario Taylor and JKS, they don't come around every year.

Ok. But, if by 2028 Simpson appears to be playing out as a decent QB, why bother drafting another? Especially with the risk that not all the highly drafted QB's work out, such as Cam Ward so far.

 

[Twopointtry]

The Rams are the team that will move on from your ass the moment they smell the stench of failure in your game. So as it pertains to Simpson he's in a great place where he'll get incredible coaching and preparation, but if he wants them to plan around him as QB1 he will need to impress at every phase of his development. Right now he's very early in that development. He has looked great, but it is true that in two years shit may look different. This is the league, and the Rams are the most aggressive team there is when it comes to high standards at QB.

The danger is that a team can get whipsawed if they only draft a QB when they have a perceived need. The Ravens passed on ARod, because they had just drafted Kyle Boller in 2003. When Boller didn't work out, they drafted Joe Flacco. Some drafts have zero elite QBs, others have one.

If you pass on the opportunity to draft an elite QB prospect, that opportunity might never present itself again.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Makai Lemon, 2 games, 4 receptions for 9 yards

Remember when every talking head said we should have drafted him for production this year

And Boston is leading the way which many of us targeted as a potential Ram

Okay, I think it's time for a serious wake up call. A fact vs fiction approach.

We don't know if Cam Ward or Jaxon Dart are going to be good NFL QBs. There were 6 guys taken in the first round the previous year and the jury is still out on them. On others, it's already clear they're not franchise QB material. This past draft saw Mendoza and Simpson go in the first. We don't know about them either. Drake Maye looked great last year vs a last place schedule. Not so much this year, eh? Justin Herbert was going to be the shit. He's been looking like shit for a while now.

We ALL know (and McVay/Snead know better than us) many of these 'can't miss' college QB studs simply don't make it in the NFL. For every Joe Burrow or Caleb Williams who are legit first round studs, there are exponentially more first round duds who aren't even close. That's a fact.

The fiction, beside your imaginary conversation between Snead and McVay, is there's a college QB who has yet to play a snap at that level who is going to be a can't miss, gotta have, stud. Really? I guess we could also look at it like, 'McVay is such an offensive magician, that he could take one of those guys and make them a franchise QB'. Sure. But he couldn't do that with Simpson? That reasoning makes less sense than the following statement..........


Oh we haven't heard that before, have we? "Potential". Yeah that's the key word. Key to which QBs are taken in the first round. Key to which drafts are loaded with great QBs. Key to which QBs turn out to be franchise QBs. Potential. Such an overused term.

And sometimes when you get that "franchise QB", you find out he's not all he's cracked up to be. A great regular season performer but not so great in the postseason. I'm thinking of Aaron Rodgers there. He has become top 5 in all the important QB categories. And yet he only won 1 Superbowl. 16 years ago. Besides being a four time MVP and HOFer, he's a head case. But damn man, he does have all those records!!!! In the 4 seasons he won the MVP award, the Packers were eliminated in the postseason without reaching the SB. Hell, twice they were eliminated without reaching the CCG. And his numbers were anything but "franchise-like".

But back to your point.

There will be future drafts with QB classes to die for. Sure, there will be. So what? You already know Ty Simpson is a failure?

Tyler Shough is looking pretty good in a tough place with a team rebuilding.

Still a lot of time before the picture at WR or QB clears up from the 25' & 26" classes

 

[Twopointtry]

Ok. But, if by 2028 Simpson appears to be playing out as a decent QB, why bother drafting another?

Decent as in he played great in the preseason but hasn't gotten a chance to play in the regular season, decent in he had a really good game as an injury replacement in the regular season then Stafford returned to action, decent as in Simpson just made the Pro Bowl after Stafford won the SB and rode off into the sunset in retirement or decent as in Simpson inherited the starting job and played like the 2025 version of Bryce Young?

The Packers had their own decisions to make after they drafted Rodgers, while he was sitting behind Favre. GB had an unexpectedly poor 2005 season. They lost a couple of key players in FA then had a series of key injuries. Consequently, they had a high draft slot, but the top QB (Vince Young) didn't fall to them. Jay Cutler wasn't taken in the top 10 that year and the Broncos traded up with the Rams to get him.

The following year, the Raiders surprisingly made JaMarcus Russell the top pick and Brady Quinn tumbled down the board. The Packers could have drafted Quinn. If the Packers had done what Favre wanted and traded away ARod to get Randy Moss, it would have had huge consequences for the team in the post-Favre era.

By staying the course even when there wasn't substantial evidence that ARod would be the long-term answer at QB, things worked out great for GB. But, they had to made decisions without a concrete sense of whether ARod would be elite, because he was still just a backup QB at that point.

 

[Merlin]

I've studied draft prospects as a hobby for a long time. This is the only time I've said this about a future QB draft class. I typically grade QBs much lower than the national media. In a "normal" draft, maybe I'll give 1 or 2 QBs 1st round grades. I also distinguish between "top 10 overall" and other 1st round grades, so some of the QBs I put in the 1st round aren't graded high enough to justify being taken at the top of the draft.

Tnational sports media hypes up QBs in "way-too-early" mocks every year and every time they end up looking silly as some of the QBs they had as high 1st round prospects get picked very low and don't turn out to be any good.

I've never done that. Typically, I'm a QB skeptic. So, if I'm the voice that is hyping up the 2028 QB class, it is a "canary in the coal mine" moment and should be a warning sign that something abnormal is percolating. QBs like Kamario Taylor and JKS, they don't come around every year.

Sure whatever. But this recent class was one that was much ballyhooed in precisely the same way. It's a fuckin meme with fans man.

 

[Steve808]

No one actually thought Ty Simpson was going to make instant impact coming to the Rams.
We all know he is a sit on the bench and learn for a good while player.
If the Rams did not take Simpson and went after the short sighted "instant impact" player the Rams were going to be in a bad position after Stafford hung it up.
The Rams are in a good place right now.

The thing is, if Simpson is not Homer Simpson, it's brilliant. Bot to mention being mentored by Stafford and McVay, he might be better after being around the Rams culture. Look at Baker Mayfield as an example.

Yes, the Rams could have drafted Makai Lemon or whoever, but it's no guarantee they would be a difference maker right away. But I know this, if Stafford retires and we have nobody on deck, the Rams will be giving up 3 first rounders or 1-2 first rounders plus a decent player to be able to get the draft pick to get a decent QB.